Cleaning attachment for rakes.



No. 677,774. Patented July 2, 190i.

w. R. DAWSON. CLEANING ATTACHMENT FOB RAKES.

(Application filed Dec. 27, 1900.

(No Model.)

NITED STATES FFlCE. Y

ATENT WILLIAM R. DAWSON, OF AUGUSTA, GEORGIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TORYERSON S. GUESS, OF SAME PLACE.

CLEANING ATTACHMENT FOR RAKES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 677,774, dated July 2,1901.

Application filed December 27, 1900. Serial No. 41,201. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

7 Be it known that I, WILLIAM R. DAwsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Augusta, in the county of Richmond, State of Georgia, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Cleaning and ClearingAttachments for Rakes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists in an attachment for a rake adapted to clear andclean the teeth thereof of grass, clods, dirt, and other obstructions,the same being applicable to the head of the rake and ad justablyconnectible with rake-handles of different thicknesses, while also beingadapted to prevent cutting, piercing, or otherwise weakening of thesame.

It also consists in providing the bearing of the lever with a tonguewhich is adapted to form a seat with the spring which presses againstsaid lever, whereby said spring is prevented from coming in contact withthe rakehandle and cutting the same and also from being lost.

Figure 1 represents a perspectiveview of a rake and the attachmenttherefor embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a side elevationthereof, the attachment being ina different position from that shown inFig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a transverse section on line 00 m, Fig. 2.Fig. t represents a plan view of a detached portion of the attachment.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in thefigures.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the head of a rake, B the prongsor teeth thereof, and O the handle.

D designates a lever which extends in the longitudinal direction of thehandle and is mounted on the ears E, the latter projecting from theplate F, at a right angle thereto, opposite to which latter is the plateG, which plates F and G are depressed to fit the adjacent oppositeportions of the handle 0 and having eyes II on their ends for thereception of the screws J, whereby the plates may be clamped to thehandle.

K designates a bar which is connected with the end of the lever Dadjacent to the head A and provided with the slot L, in which theseveral teeth of the rake are freely received.

Projecting rearwardly from the plate F in the longitudinal direction ofthe handle is the tongue M,which is located on said handle and forms aseat for the spring N, the latter bearing against the adjacent handleportion of the lever for holding the bar K in normal or inoperativepositions.

It is evident that when grass, dirt, or other matter clog the teeth andthe lever D is operated the bar K is caused to traverse the teeth towardthe points thereof, and thus strip and clean the same, after which thelever is let go, when the bar, owing to the spring N, resumes its normalposition adjacent to the cross-bar P of the head A without interferingwith the usual operation of the rake.

In order to prevent displacement of the spring N, which is preferably ofthe order of a coil, the lever D and tongue M are provided with teats orstuds Q, on which the ends of the spring are fitted.

It will be seen that the attachment may be secured to the handle of therake without piercing the same either for the clampingplates F and G orthe spring N, so that the f handle is not weakened, and the attachmentmay be adjusted on the handle so that the bar K may properly fit thehead of the rake. Furthermore, the slot L, which is unbroken from end toend of the bar, receives all of the teeth with which the head A may besupplied within the same as a single opening, Whether the teeth areclose or far apart, avoiding special register for the slot withindividual teeth.

It is evident that the attachment is applicable to existing rakeswithout any alterations in the latter.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a cleaning and clearing attachment for a rake, a bar adapted totraverse the teeth of the rake, a lever carrying said bar, abearing forsaid lever attachable to the handle of the rake, a tongue extending fromsaid bearing in the longitudinal directionvof said handle, and a springseated on said tongue and adapted to press against said lever.

2. In a cleaning and clearing attachment for a rake, alever providedwith a bar adapted to traverse the teeth of the head of the rake, aclamping device on which said lever is mounted, a tongue on said clamp,and a returning spring, the latter being seated on said tongue andadapted to bear against said lever, said tongue extending from saidclamp in the longitudinal direction of the head of the rake and adaptedto rest on said handle.

3. A pair of plates adapted to clamp the handle of the rake, eyes onsaid plates, screws 10 in said eyes, a lever mounted on one of saidplates, a tongue extending from said plate in the longitudinal directionof the handle and adapted to rest upon said handle and a springinterposed between said leverand said tongue and bearing against saidlever.

\VILLIAM R. DAWSON.

Witnesses:

A. S. DA GHTY, J. B. W001).

